Sea of Love
by JohnStrider19
Summary: Kankri, the boy who never knew how to swim despite living next to the ocean all his life, has an interesting friend. People thought he was just dreaming, head in the clouds. But he knew who and what he'd met that day (Cronkri)
1. Sea of Love

Ever since I was young, I've always been close to the ocean, never actually daring to go in. When I did, of course, it was only ankle deep before a crab pinched my toe and I ran out, crying into my father's arms.

But, on the night of my thirteenth birthday, I went in to my waist. A strong current pulled me under and out deeper, where my feet couldn't reach.

Nobody was around. Nobody could help me. I was going to die.

Just as I gave up on fighting the waves that crashed over me and sank into the cold, dark water, an arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back up to the surface.

I came to on the beach, a mouth pressed against my own. This made me gasp and jump back, getting dizzy at the sudden movement.

A sharp pain roiled in my stomach and I rolled onto my hands and knees, salt water spewing out of my mouth and soaking the sand under me. Once the water and the pain was gone, I collapsed on the sand, looking at the person who'd saved me.

It was a boy who looked to be about my age, sitting back on his knees, watching me with a worried look on his face. He pushed his hair out of his face with his hand, raking it backwards on his head. "You okay?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yes. Thank you." I said weakly, trying to catch my breath. He smiled and looked out over the water.

"Ya know, if you fear it, it won't like you. You're stupid to be scared of it." He looked at me again and laughed softly. "But, to not be scared of it is stupid too." He looked back to the water, his face peaceful. "Crazy things out there."

I blinked at him, sitting up. He looked at me, his face pale in the light of the moon. "I can tell ya this. You really don't understand what kind of things are actually out there." He stood up and offered me his hand.

When I held my hand out to him, he pulled me to my feet, keeping me steady when I wobbled. His hands were so cold...

I studied him as he watched the water. His skin was a pale, milky white, his eyes an odd shade of blue that looked almost purple in hue. He was slightly taller than me and had arms lined with muscle.

He wore only a pair of shorts, his musclar torso exposed. He looked like a normal boy, if not more musclar. The only oddity I found was on the side of his neck.

Where his wet hair clumped to expose skin, I swear I saw... "Are...Are those gills?" I asked, not understanding what I was seeing.

"I'm Cronus." He said, seeming to ignore my question. I blinked, keeping my eyes on his possible gills as he looked at me.

"I'm Kankri. But a-are those gills?" I asked again, swallowing hard.

"I like you Kankri." Again, ignoring my question. "Here." He pulled something out of the pocket of his shorts. It was a necklace. A simple silver chain with a shell at the bottom of it.

He took my hand in his and put the necklace in my palm. Like his hand, it too was cold. I flipped it over to see there was a C carved into the shell, filled in with gold.

I gasped and turned it over. It was simple but beautiful. My face burnt as he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before he backed away.

"Hold onto that." He smiled at me, walking backwards to the water. I walked with him, stopping on the sand where the water licked its way up to me.

Cronus was in the water, his head and shoulders the only thing I could see. "Don't forget today!" I heard him call to me before a wave smashed over him, pushing him under.

Panic swelled in my chest, but, when I looked closely, I saw him pop back up over a dozen feet away. Only for a second.

Only to wave at me.

I'm nearly seventeen now and I have yet to see Cronus again. I would say the whole thing was a dream, if not for the necklace I wear tucked under my shirt every day.

The chain had been big on me at first, the shell nearly reaching the center of my chest. But now it fit properly, the shell resting comfortably just below my collarbone.

I never told anyone about Cronus or the necklace, fearing they would call me crazy. But I think I know what Cronus is now.

Cronus is at least semi-amphibious. He was able to breathe water, that I was sure of now. But he was also able to breathe air up on the beach with me.

As I lay in bed, holding the shell, I feel it. I haven't seen that boy in almost four years and... I miss him.

I miss him a lot.


	2. Chapter 1

I bit my lip hard, thinking. My father was out of town for business and I had the house to myself for a week.

Summer break was coming up fast, but I didn't have any plans other than my birthday. Father should be home in time for it, but if something happens and he isn't, I told him we could celebrate together when he gets back.

I didn't have any friends growning up and still don't, so I'm used to being alone. He knows this and accepts that I am more of an introvert than a people person.

And, he doesn't know that I spent the last four years searching for Cronus every chance I got, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him...

With a sigh, I hooked my backpack over my shoulder and headed to the beach. It was only a five minute walk and I needed to hear the water to relax enough to do my homework and study.

Once there, I went to the unused pier. The pier wasn't unstable or falling apart, it was just old and creaked under weight. But, since the new one was built, everyone took their business there.

But I liked this pier. It was always quite, no sign of life other than me and the few starfish clinging to the support beams. I lit the old gas lantern that hung on a thick metal hook at the end of the pier and settled under the warm light just as the sun started to set.

Finals were coming up soon and I had to get my work done. Leaning against the last pillar dividing stalls, I opened my English three book and flipped to the monologue I was supposed to memorize and recite for my final.

It was a form of a love confession, it seems. I had about a week and a half to get this mastered, so it was first and, seeing as it was the only thing I was having issues with, the most important.

I cleared my throat and read it to myself. "And what if they find the nature of our love illfitting of our age? Where would that leave us? Alone, with nobody to turn to but each other. That is all I could ever hope for, yet you hide from your true feelings. Why?

Why are you so frighetned of something so natural? Are you afraid of me, or of the endless possibilities that hide in the very word of love? And what defines the difference of fear and love?

Are the two really so different, in their affects on your soul and body? So come with me now, into our endless sea of love and fear, and discover how far we can go. Together." I shook my head.

"That doesn't sound right." I sighed and shut the book in my frustration, slipping it back in my bag. I took out my Calculus book and my math notebook, getting ready to finish my math homework.

A flick of water hit my leg, making me jump and look around. There was nobody in sight. I frowned and went back to my homework, then another splash hit both my legs.

I sighed heavlily and looked at the water, expecting to see somebody swimming by and messing with me. What I saw made me gasp and drop my book on the pier.

"It wasn't that bad Kankri." My heart almost stopped when I saw his face. Cronus. He was in the water, smiling up at me.

"Cronus?" I asked, my hand touching the necklace under my shirt. He smiled and held his hand out to me. I braced myself with the pillar I had been leaning on and pulled him up onto the pier, moving my books aside with my foot so he didn't get them wet.

He hugged me, soaking my shirt. My heart squeezed in my chest and beat faster before he let me go. I blushed as he looked at me.

His hair was longer and he was even more muscular, abs rippling down his stomach as he sat down next to me. He was dressed exactly as I remember from years ago in black shorts and nothing else.

I stuttered as he reached into my shirt, lifting out the necklace he'd given me. He smiled softly at it and let it go, resting it against my shirt. "Thank you for keeping it." He kissed my cheek.

"You're a mermaid right?" I asked bluntly, covering my mouth. He blinked at me, his smile falling. "I'm so sorry if that offended you but I've been wondering the last four year and I-" His lips on mine stopped me.

"Shut up." He pulled me into his lap. "I'm kinda a merman and not really. My mom was a mermaid and my dad was a horny fucker." He smiled. "So I can be up here and down there." He pointed to the water. "My friend is actually out here too. She wanted to meet you."

He leaned over the pier and stuck his head in the water. I watched him grab the pillar with one hand and reach into the water with the other, pulling something out.

A girl surfaced, looking up at me. Her hair was cut short, two long braids floating behind her. She looked at me with pink eyes and smiled, showing pointed teeth. I swallowed hard.

"So this is the human scum you saved Cronus?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at me. My mouth fell open, no words coming out. "What a waste." She rolled her eyes and turned to go away, but Cronus grabbed one of her braids and tugged her back.

"Say you're sorry Meenah." She curled her lip at him and glared at me until he tugged her braid a little harder, making her squeak.

"S-sorry!" He let her go. "You better watch yourself when you get back you little bitch." She spat at Cronus before sinking under the water. She didn't have any kind of tail, the only differences I could spot between the two of them being their teeth and she had...fins for ears.

I looked at Cronus, realizing what all had just happened. My hand lifted to my mouth and I touched my lips lightly, almost in shock.

Suddenly, all the frustration and anger and sadness that had been building inside of me these last four years I'd spent looking for him blew out of me, tears rolling down my cheeks and words spilling out of my mouth.

"Where have you been?" I asked, ducking my head so he wouldn't see my tears. "I looked everywhere for you. I spent so long combing the beach for you. Where have you been?!" I asked, pushing away from him and standing up.

He looked at me, at my tear stained face. "Four years Cronus! I haven't seen you in four years and you think you can just randomly kiss me when you reappear? I don't even know you!" He stood up and pulled me against him.

I went without a fight. It wouldn't have mattered if I fought him or not. He was much stronger than me. He rubbed my back lightly, resting his head on mine. "I'm so sorry." He said softly, kissing the top of my head.

"I missed you so much. But I wasn't able to get away long enough to see you like this. Every day on my scouting trips I would stop by here and watch you. I would make sure you were safe and not in any kind of trouble. But Meenah's mom caught on to me and took me off. Meenah and I snuck away to see you."

His words made me shake. I wanted them to be true so bad... "You'll have to ignore her though. She treats everyone like crap because her mom is the queen." He sighed and held me tighter.

I could feel his heart beating, his skin soft over the muscles. "I thought about you every day. I missed you every day. And for that I am sorry." He said, hooking his finger under my chin, making me look at him.

And, as I looked into those purple-blue eyes, I knew. I knew that he meant it. Fresh tears rolled out of my eyes as I wrapped my arms around hm, clinging to him.


	3. Chapter 2

I stood there, in his arms, for what felt like such a short period of time. But the night grew darker and the latern grew dimmer. He rubbed my back and rocked us gently the whole time as I cried and held him.

Once I could breath, I looked at him. He smiled at me softly, kissing my forehead like he had four years ago.

He placed his hand on my chest, over the shell of the necklace, and kissed me softly. It was my first real kiss, not counting the mouth to mouth he'd given me before and the rude one earlier.

It made me melt in his hands, heat burning through me. Though it was soft and sweet, it was perfect. My heart was racing in my chest when he pulled back, a blush creeping over my cheeks.

He sighed suddenly, making me open my eyes. "I should get you home." He whispered. I frowned slightly. "Then I have to go back."

My heart all but stopped in my chest as he said this. Was I going to lose him for four more years? Could I even survive losing him now, after learning everything I had?

"No." I shook my head. "I can't lose you now." I bit my lip as more tears threatened to escape. He looked at me, his face shocked. "I can't lose you again." At that, they did spill over, running freely down my face.

"Hey. No. Shhhh." He pulled me against him, burying my face in his bare chest. "It's okay. You're not losing me." He said, but I'm sure even he could hear the lie in his own voice. "Kankri, look at me." He held my face in his hands, rubbing small circles into my cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm a prince. If I just go missing, everyone will freak out. But, if I go back and tell them I'm leaving, then nothing can keep us apart."

"You're a prince?" I asked, my mind slowly connecting the pieces. "So you and Meenah are related?" He sighed heavily and nodded.

"In human terms, we're cousins. Merterms, we're brother and sister." He frowned. "But we have different birthers." He shook his head. "Sorry. Merterm. Parents are birthers."

I nodded. "So you'll go and be back?" I asked, looking at him. "You will be back, right?" I swallowed hard, fearing the worst.

He nodded and gave me a small peck on the lips. I smiled softly. "There's only a handful of things they can do to me. None of them serious. They can dethrone me, which I'm doing myself. They can banish me, which I don't plan on going back once I'm gone or kill me. Which I doubt they will because the queen doesn't like killing other merpeople." My face went cold.

"K-kill you?" I asked. He nodded and kissed me again.

"They won't kill me. I might be leaving them, but that doesn't mean I'm not their prince. If they even try..." He cracked his knuckles and laughed softly. "Well, they won't get too far with that plan."

"Cronus, please be careful. For me?" I asked, looking in his eyes. He took my face in his hands, and kissed me. It was...different than the first couple kisses.

It was heated and rough, making me press myself closer to him on instinct. When he pulled back, I was breathless, my face and body full of an odd enery. "I will. Now let me walk you home." He said softly, helping me gather up my books.

He carried my bag for me, holding my hand. I ignored the whispers from the neighbors who always sat on their porch drinking at night, unlocking the front door. I opened it and looked at Cronus, my face surely turning colors on me again.

"Do you want to come in? My father isn't home so we don't have to worry about him." I stared at my hands.

"Sure." He smiled and followed me in, shutting the door behind him. the house my father and I live in was large for two people, four bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, a finished basement and a deck that had an amazing view of the ocean next to my room. He sat my bag on the couch and looked at me.

"Its nice in here." He smiled. "Much better than where I live." I frowned at that, curious. "I might be a prince, but living under a queen is like living in poverty." He sighed. "That, and you can smell up here. Everything smells like salt and fish where I live."

I smiled at that. "Will you be able to adapt? Everything must be so different." I looked around, trying to see my home in the eyes of someone who didn't grow up in it.

"I can. I lived on land until I was five. My gills will close up after a week or so and I can open them again if I need to." He stood in front of me, kissing me again softly. "And I will never get enough of this." He smiled, kissing me again and again.

I felt like a puddle of raging teen hormones in his arms, my knees getting weaker and weaker with every kiss that landed against my lips. My breath was becoming harder to draw, turning quickly into gasps and pants.


	4. Chapter 3

He rested his forehead against mine, his fingers twining with mine as we both tried to regain control of ourselves. "I bet my father wouldn't mind you staying here." I said thoughtfully. "He will probably be ticked pink that I have connected with another living, breathing being." I laughed at myself more than my statement.

"That'd be nice." Cronus smiled softly. "But my old man lives not too far from here. I think a block over?" He shrugged. "He used to come see me and tell me I could come back whenever I needed, so he probably wouldn't care if I just dropped in. After all, he was the one who kept me clothed all these years. I think I should probably live with him."

"Oh." I said softly. "At least you would be close." I blinked a couple times. "How are you so well spoken if you were only on land for the first five years of your life?" I asked, looking up at him.

He laughed nervously. "Heeeeh." I raised an eyebrow at him. "You see, its kind of a merpeople think we can do." He blushed a light violet color. "We have our own sort of language under water, so it's harder to speak an actual language, but, if we're able to kiss a human, we learn everything that human has learned.

So, when I gave you mouth to mouth four years ago, I learned everything you knew at the time. And, earlier on the pier, I learned everything you know now." I felt my face grow hot.

"Oh." I breathed, looking away. "Is that why you kissed me earlier on the pier? So you could keep up with me?"

"No." He said softly, cupping my cheek. "I kissed you because you were starting to freak out over me." His thumb rubbed over my cheekbone and ear. "It was the only thing I could think of to calm you down. Sorry if you didn't like it."

I shook my head. "It's not that I didn't like it so much as I wasn't expecting it." I said hastily, not wanting him to get dejected. "It was shock, nothing else." He nodded, his eyes thoughtful.

His thumbs were smooth on my skin, and I felt much more calm than I had in the last four years of my life. He sighed. "I have to go back." He said softly.

"I know." I breathed, not wanting to let him go just yet. "I know." I took a step back, holding his hands in mine. "Just please, be careful. For me." I said, knowing he'd promised already. I just really didn't want him to go anywhere.

"I will." He nodded and kissed me again sweetly. "I will be back. I promise." He breathed against my lips. I nodded and raised up to my toes, catching his lips with mine again.

I walked him to the back door so he could avoid my nosy neighbors and he pecked me on the lips quickly, like a husband leaving for work would. I blushed as he walked toward the ocean, waving as he did.

God please let him be okay! I sighed and shut the door, locking up the house. Right as I started to make something for dinner, my phone rang. It was father. "Hello?" I answered, putting him on speaker.

"Hey there kiddo! How're you handling your school work? Finals are this and next week, right? Have you been studying and keeping on top of you homework?" His deep voice rang through the kitchen as he spoke, obviously excited to be talking to me.

"Everything is going well. The house is clean and I have been keeping up with my school work as usual and yes, they are." I said, answering all of his questions.

"Anything new? Meet any cuties?" I sighed and blushed.

"Really father?" I sighed heavily. "Actually..." I trailed off, not sure how to tell him about Cronus.

"Oh!" He squeaked. "I knew it I knew it I knew it!" He said in the same breath. "Who's the lucky guy?!" He said loudly.

"Father!" I snapped. "Do I really need to get into how triggering you are being? If it were not me, anyone else would have hung up on you after your second question, you know this, do you not? I swear we have this conversation all the time and I am nearly finished trying to not be so offensive and pushy with your conversations. And you know some people can't handle men asking such questions? It is related to the deep voices and grumbling in the tones you use and-" His laughed cut me off. "ARE YOU LAUGHING RIGHT NOW?" I almost screamed before I corrected myself.

"Sorry kiddo." He laughed. "Sometimes I feel like the kid. You act way too old for your age. Relax and tell me about him." I heard him sit down.

I sighed. "His name is Cronus. He used to live close to us, actually. His parents are separated and he went to live with his mother up until now. But he is back now and we..." I paused, blushing. "We connected right away."

"I'm so happy." Dad sighed. "I'm so happy my boy is finally growing up and found someone he likes." I blushed brighter. "Do I get to meet him when I get home?" I looked at the calender.

"Of course." I said, not to sure when Cronus would be getting back. "It might be some time after, though. I am sure his father would like to reconnect with him again."

"Right." I heard his smile. "Well." He yawned. "Are you eating well? Going to bed on time?"

I looked at the clock. "Bed on time? Isn't it nearly two in the morning there?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. But I wanted to talk to you." I rolled my eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me. I know you're getting older, but you'll always be my little Kanny who's scared of the ocean. And I'll always worry about you."

I sighed. "I know, I know. I'll be okay, I promise. And, when you get back, I'll have your favorite dinner made and ready." I heard his laugh.

"Yep. That's my Kanny. Well." He yawned again. "I should go to sleep. I have to be down on the construction sight at seven. Love you."

"Love you too. Wait, seven in the morning? You really need to stop-" The dial tone filled my ear. "Moron." I sighed and put my phone on the counter.

By the time the food was done, I was too sick with worry to eat. How long would it take Cronus to go and get back? Is he okay? What if he never came back?

That last thought jarred me, almost making me drop the container full of the food I hadn't eaten. I shook my head and took a deep breath. He promised he'd be safe and that he'd be back.


	5. Chapter 4

I was too anxious to go to sleep, so instead I sprawled out on the couch, waiting for Cronus to return. It wasn't until the first break of dawn did the doorbell ring, making me jump and run to the door.

Nearly ripping it off the hinges, I opened it widly for Cronus. He stumbled into my arms, his legs giving way under his weight. I caught him, shocked into silence. Quickly, I shut the door and half dragged him to the couch where I had been.

I helped him lay down and touched his slightly pale face. His hands were clutching his side for dear life. I moved them and saw the purple blood dripping out of a long cut before he slapped them back into place, his legs twisting in pain.

"W-wait here!" I gasped and ran to the main bathroom. WIth shaking hands, I grabbed our first aid kit and moved as fast as I could back to his side. I sat the white box on the coffee table and opened it.

Taking a deep breath, I looked back at him. His breathing was shallow, his teeth clenched. This time when I moved his hands, he didn't move them back.

I got to work cleaning the odd colored blood away, not wanting to offend him by asking about it. He only flinched a couple times as I wiped the blood, his breath hitching in his throat as if he were holding off a scream.

Once it was clean enough, I put pads of gauze over the length of the cut and taped it along the sides with medical tape. He let out a quivering laugh as I kissed it softly. "What happened?" I asked as I cleaned up the blood soaked wipes.

"M-Meenah wasn't too keen on me leavin. She woulda ran her trident right through me if I hadn't been on my way out." He laughed and flinched as it jarred his side. He took a few deep breaths before he continued. "S-she really got pissed." He smirked. "I always knew she cared about me." He sighed and closed his eyes as I cleaned his hands.

"So she didn't want you to leave?" I asked, gathering everything up into the box. He shook his head.

"It's not that, exactly." He frowned. "She doesn't like the idea of me choosin you over her. She was the reason I stayed off land for so long. So she wouldn't be lonely." He grimaced. "But it's not like she doesn't have a human of her own to fawn over. I mean I guess I can understand her jealousy a little."

I gave him a questioning look before I went to get him some water. "Why would she be jealous? Isn't she some kind of princess?" I asked as I handed him the cup. He took a sip.

"Yeah. But cause I'm half human, I can come on land." He looked pointedly at me, as if he expected me to put it together. "She ain't half human. Or anything human. She can't leave the water. Or she'll die."

I nodded. "And her human can't stay in the water all the time." I said softly, understanding what he meant instantly. "So why...?" I started to ask 'So why love a human?' but it might be a little cotracdictory, seeing as I was a human and he was a merperson. Or, half at least.

"Why does she still love her?" He asked, making me blush and nod slightly. "Aranea's actually a really rad chick. I met her once, like Meenah met you." He smiled. "And all Meenah wants is to be happy, even if she don't know it." He grinned. "Cause she sure as hell ain't right now. Not with that crazy mom of her's pullin the strings."

"Did her mother say anything to you about your leaving?" I asked, wanting to change the subject. He shrugged and pulled himself so that he was sitting up a bit more.

"Not exactly. She was happy to get rid of me. Said I was a halfer and that I didn't deserve to breathe the same water as her court." He snorted. "And that if she was my mom, she woulda killed me when I was hatched." I flinched at that last part.

"W-wasn't she your mother's sister?" I asked, still not totally sure I understood merfamily roles.

"Kinda. Like Meenah and I are cousins up here and bro and sis in the court. My mom and Meenah's were like us." I nodded. "Only, Meenah's mom killed mine, not just knicked her side and let her go." He bit his lip. "Meenah's a lot nicer than her mom, I guess." He laughed, a pained sound.

I knew the pain wasn't from his wound, either. "What did your mother do?" I asked softly, taking his hand in mine.

"It's a long story." He sighed, looking down into my eyes. "But I guess I can tell you." He said softly, kissing my hand. "Well, it all started when she took me back to the ocean." He started.

He told me about how his and Meenah's mothers were constantly fighting over the court and what kind of decisions to make, his mother being the Queen's sister having a standing to go against her word. And about how she would always round up krill and shrimp for him to eat.

About how he and Meenah were raised as brother and sister. How his life was before he met me and after he met me. And, about how almost three years ago, Meenah's mother killed his for going against her. He either didn't notice the tears slipping over his cheeks or he refused to acknowledge them as he told me that part.

It had happened right in front of him, and he'd held his mother until she bled out. As per merperson usual -according to him- she was given to the sharks so her body wouldn't float the the surface and be discovered by humans.

He told me about how she'd protected him tooth and tail -a merperson joke, apparently- until that time, and I knew instantly that they were close. I held his hand as he recalled all of this, silent tears streaming over his cheeks. "I understand." I said softly.

And, I did. Aside from the whole anatomy jokes, I understood the coplexity of the world he lived in up until now.


End file.
